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Singapore Sling
Beautifully balanced, fruity and complex with just enough gin to add a spirituous bite. We're indebted to Dale DeGroff for sharing this recipe, which he...
CJ Grant
24th April at 21:34
A crowd-pleasing balance to this. I want to say it runs a little sweet, but it is more that I think I would prefer a little more tart and/or bitter. I might fiddle with a little more lime and citrus bitters for my own taste, but this is a good recipe.
26th March at 19:01
I was all set to remake the recipe on the card i got from Raffles back in 2003… it’s been stuck on the fridge for years. However, I’m glad I went with these proportions - what a lovely cocktail. It’s everything i wished the Raffles experience was - the reality back then was “iconic bar, lots of monkey nuts, underwhelming drink”. Cheers
27th March at 06:41
Hi Guy. I'd very grateful if you could please photograph your Raffles recipe card and email it to me at simon.difford@diffordsguide.com
27th February at 18:59
My mother-in-law's favourite cocktail so I'm unable to be impartial. The Raffles Hotel was closed for refurbishment when she was there but her friend took her somewhere else where apparently they served a much better version. I'd like to think it was like this. Raise a toast to the cocktail drinkers of yesteryear when you drink it - and I recommend you do.
17th November 2025 at 15:03
Not in a million years could AI come up with something this genius.
14th November 2025 at 19:19
Made this for my very down to earth mother who announced that the last time she had one was a Raffles in Singapore no less (apparently there is Epstein-style photo evidence). She continues to surprise me - or is losing her marbles... cocktail was delicious!
30th May 2025 at 15:30
We made exactly the Difford's recipe and loved it. After missing Long Bar on our cocktail trip to Singapore because it really looked like a tourist trap, it was time to try this famous recipe. A Straights Sling is up on our list!
28th May 2025 at 06:14
Firstly, when it comes to the original, I love the Educated Barfly's recipe the most with its perfect balance. Nonetheless, while trying to make that, I ran out of pineapple. In summer of all times, I improvised this recipe, called the Winter Sling: 30ml lime, 10ml grenadine, 7.5ml each of blackberry liqueur and orange curacao, 5ml falernum, 45ml gin, top with 60ml soda. Looking for a better name, however.
29th March 2025 at 16:23
We did a head-to-head of the DiffordsGuide recipe as given at 14 March 2025 (45ml pineapple; 2.5ml grenadine) vs the recipe given in the DeGroff video (15ml pineapple; no grenadine). Diffords: Nice, balanced, sweet & sour. Not much pineapple. DeGroff: less sweet, bitters more present, citrus.
This DiffordsGuide recipe edged it.
[Singapore Sling]
This DiffordsGuide recipe edged it.
[Singapore Sling]
17th March 2025 at 16:54
The original Raffles is a little too sweet for my liking.
This version allows all the flavours to come through, especially the Benedictine which is largely lost in the Raffles version. Did top up with soda to make it longer, though.
This version allows all the flavours to come through, especially the Benedictine which is largely lost in the Raffles version. Did top up with soda to make it longer, though.
16th February 2025 at 23:08
It's interesting, I'll give it that. It's drier than you think but still a Tiki cocktail. I think I wish it was either more sour or more bitter. As it stands it's a solid 4/5, a classic that deserves to be remembered but not one that is memorable.
25th May 2024 at 23:16
I committed to making this today following a request for a 'something different' drink. I knew my version would involve improvisations but I wasn't expecting to have use guava juice in lieu of pineapple! Nevertheless I pressed on: (all in mls) 50 Edinburgh Gin, 20 Wild Kirsch, 10 Cointreau, 2.5 Becherovka, 15 lime juice, 2.5 agave syrup, 60 guava. Surprisingly good, perhaps more Pratapgarh, than Singapore, Sling, but I'd do it again!
1st May 2024 at 05:20
too dry for me, added 15ml cherry syrup. yep thats good now.
26th April 2024 at 11:22
Love Dale's recipe for a Singapore sling.
I suggest to up the grenadine to 5-7,5 ml (or use 10 ml cranberry concentrate if you don't have homemade non artificial flavored grenadine concentrate)
And to top up with soda in the glass.
Then less pineapple dominated and even more fresh.
I suggest to up the grenadine to 5-7,5 ml (or use 10 ml cranberry concentrate if you don't have homemade non artificial flavored grenadine concentrate)
And to top up with soda in the glass.
Then less pineapple dominated and even more fresh.
15th April 2024 at 09:12
This recipe has been on my wishlist for awhile, which I’m so glad I finally got to make this, as I used Sunshine & Sons gin which adds notes of pomegranate, lavender and pink rose, which works really well in a Singapore Sling
13th January 2024 at 11:59
Retried both this and the raffles version side by side, tho cut the pineapple to 90 ml for the raffles version. I think it should be remembered that this was originally a tropical climate drink, so large amounts of fruit juice for rehydration made sense, perhaps less so for modern air conditioned lifestyles. I think they are both great drinks in their contexts.
9th March 2025 at 12:18
Ive also taken to reverse dry shaking this to get the max ‘fluff’ (proteins) out of the pineapple juice.
7th November 2023 at 10:49
I made this with a locally produced chilli infused gin and it worked really well
9th October 2023 at 20:32
Tried this side by side with the Raffles Formula (https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/1825/singapore-sling-raffles-formula) - minus the soda:
The Dale DeGroff Sling is less sweet and more tart.
Importantly, imho, it lacks the pineapple note and mouthfeel (amazing foam) of the Raffles/IBA formula, but I guess that's down to preference.
The Dale DeGroff Sling is less sweet and more tart.
Importantly, imho, it lacks the pineapple note and mouthfeel (amazing foam) of the Raffles/IBA formula, but I guess that's down to preference.
23rd February 2025 at 11:56
Agreed. The large amount of pineapple juice foams beautifully and has amazing mouthfeel!
25th July 2023 at 16:12
Fikk denne i Fredericia. Må prøves
6th November 2022 at 22:43
Haven’t invested in a bottle of Heering yet, so improvised with 1/4 oz of Luxardo Maraschino and 1/4 oz of Luxardo cherry syrup. Still delicious!
14th August 2022 at 02:26
Ooops, just added double the triple sec (Combier), so I substituted Luxardo Apricot for the cherry, reduced to 10ml; and 7.5 ml Hayman's Sloe Gin instead of grenadine. Also kind'a leaned in on the gin. Delicious!
11th August 2022 at 04:52
Being from the country where this is from, and having had it in the Raffles Bar itself - my first alcoholic drink after being allowed to drink legally, this was in 1986 - I can honestly say this formula is the closest to my memory of the drink.
12th July 2022 at 19:45
Before this I'd only had the fantastic Smuggler's Cove formula. The DeGroff recipe is slightly too tart and pineapple-forward to my taste, though still good. To compensate for this I would drop the pineapple juice to 1 shot and perhaps up the grenadine to a teaspoon or 1/4 shot.
10th July 2022 at 17:07
hi all, I tried this version with a Roku gin, it stresses well the fruity side of the cocktail by adding a gentle citrus note
10th July 2022 at 17:08
and thanks a lot Dale for sharing this recipe!
17th June 2022 at 23:14
Flat-out delicious!
11th June 2022 at 23:26
Prefer this to “sparkling” versions - the smooth pineapple foam is superior to club soda fizz.
7th May 2022 at 18:01
This recipe is one I have come back to many times, delicious as it is. Trying tiny variants, I sometimes prefer the overt cherry fruitiness of De Kuyper Cherry Brandy, or a combination of that with Cherry Heering. Omitting the Bénédictine does not cause a massive change of flavour IMO and the final colour is more attractively pink, but purists will lament a depth of flavour lost. Today, I also tried with half lime, half lemon juice. It lost its poignancy so I recommend to keep with all lime juic
16th June 2022 at 01:22
Have you tried it with Drambuie in place of the Benedictine? I have heard some people say that it is a decent substitute.
4th September 2021 at 22:16
Most definitely one of the best Singapore Slings I've tried and one I am sure to make again in the future. Thanks Dale, you have come up with a killer combination.
8th August 2021 at 15:45
Made from a slightly different recipe which omitted cointreau and subbed drambuie for the Benedictine. Not as pretty, but still incredibly tasty!
2nd June 2021 at 01:07
Great balance. The tastes of the individual ingredients really shine. Had with Hawaiian Fried Rice. Perfect.
11th April 2021 at 11:00
Shouldn't this version of Singapore Sling also be topped up with soda water as the three others (Baker's Formula, Raffle's Formula and formula sing Old Tom Gin) are?
24th October 2021 at 19:27
I made this tonight for a party and everyone found it to be tasty but a bit strong. We added a glug of cloudy lemonade and it was perfect for a longer drink. I can imagine a dash of soda water would be similar.
11th April 2021 at 12:24
No. Dale doesn’t stipulate soda and it’s good without it.